Working Paper # 026

CPEC WORKING
PAPER SERIES

Slums Shadowing the Dreams of Well Planned Cities:

Future Urbanization of Pakistan under CPEC

Dr. Ghulam Akhmat

Senior Research Fellow: Urban Development under CPEC,
CoE-CPEC

Ministry of Planning, Pakistan Institute

Development & Reform of Development Economics

A PUBLICATION OF
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR
 Slums shadowing the dreams of well-
planned cities: future urbanization of
Pakistan under CPEC
Dr. Ghulam Akhmat
Senior Research Fellow: Urban Development under CPEC
CoE-CPEC

Abstract
Slums mostly shadow beautiful cities – massive urbanization coupled with slumization
is one of the biggest challenge for growing cities. Cites provide attraction for people but
this may open-up in tragedy sometimes, trapping the dwellers in slums. Urban population
is increasing drastically at global level, half of the world’s population is living in urban
areas. This huge increase in population is proportionately involves rural to urban
migration resulting formation of informal settlements or slums. Usually these are densely
populated area established in or around the cities. Shadow traps more residents than its
real city. Intellectual dissection of this problem makes elements of a well-planned city
building responsible for nourishing this phenomenon. Pakistan is facing serious problems
of slums, about 47.5% of the urban population of Pakistan was living in slums in 2005.
This study highlighted the problem of slums in Pakistan and suggested policy
recommendation for policy makers for future urbanization in Pakistan under CPEC. With
initiation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is expected to bring immense
developments in Pakistan. CPEC is going to accelerate urbanization in Pakistan. Slum
development should not be allowed to decelerate this development. For that
comprehensive master planning of potential cities is required to cope the challenge of
unplanned settlements.

Keywords; Slums, Developing world, Cities of Pakistan, Urbanization, Pakistan

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1. Introduction
Global population is escalating at drastic level. This huge increase in population is having
immense consequences. One of them is majority of population is moving towards the
cities from rural areas for better job opportunities, improved health facilities, and well-
structured living conditions. As the scale of increase in population in urban areas is very
high, it is becoming impossible to accommodate this huge flow of population to the cities
and metropolitan areas. Slums formation is a universal urban development problem and
are becoming an increasingly fast spreading urban settlements. Sustainable development
goals determined to solve the problem of everyone living on this earth for sustainable
development at global level. Vision 2025 of Pakistan states that Pakistan’s urban
population is increasing rapidly. Current urban population is 36.7% of the total urban
population while it was only 32% in 1998. If this increasing rate continuous to grow with
the same scale, it is expected that Pakistan’s urban population will be about 50% of the
total population in 2025. Pakistan is in need to fully utilize the potential of planned
urbanization by using modern technologies, infrastructure, connectivity to develop smart,
creative and green cities. The World Cities Report 2016, Urbanization and Development:
Emerging Futures says that one fifth of the world’s population is living in 600 cities and
produces 60% of the global GDP. However it explains that when cities are unmanaged
and unplanned, this urbanization can lead us towards increased level of inequality,
growth in numbers of slums and disastrous impacts on climate change. Further it is
projected that population living in urban areas will double in developing countries and
area covered by urban area could triple (The World City report, 2016).

CPEC will greatly increase the speed of industrialization coupled with urbanization in
Pakistan. The cities that come on the route of CPEC are Gwadar a destined city in
Baluchistan, Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur major cities from Sindh, Lahore, Multan,
D. G. Khan from Punjab, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan from KPK and passing through
Gilgit connects to China in Kashghar.

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Slums are basically densely populated and unplanned settlements where living standard
is extremely low and poor. Sustainable Development Goals 01, 03, 06, 08, 11 and 17 are
set to deal the problems of poverty, health well-being, water and sanitation, employment
with decent work, safe and resilliant housing and sustainable development of slum
dwellers.

In 1990, the rate of slums dwellers was 51 percent of the urban population. While in 2005
the proportion of slums in urban population was 47.5%. In this modern age this rate
should be decreased at immense level. Now planning is accompanied by experts,
technology and advanced tools for developing modern designs for settlements.

Pakistan is the 6th largest most populous country of the world. According to provisional
results of recent population census, 2017, Pakistan’s population is 207.8 million in total.
The urban population is roughly 36.4% of the total country’s population. Province of
Sindh is the most urbanized province of the country having 52% of its population in
urban areas. Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur are among the major cities of Sindh. 68%
0f the total urban population of the province is residing in these three cities. 36.7% of the
Punjab’s population living in urban areas. Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and
Gujranwala are among the largest cities of the Punjab. 27.5% of the Baluchistan’s
population is urbanised. Major cities of Baluchistan are Quetta, Khuzdar, Chaman and
Turbat. KPK is the least urbanized province of Pakistan. Peshawar, Mardan, Dera Ismail
Khan, Nowshehra and Abbottabad are among the main cities of KPK.

Urbanization is considered an inherent part of economic prosperity. However, this

becomes true if urbanization has the potential of providing jobs, increase productivity
and provides high standard of life (Collier and Venables, 2017). Slums and informal
settlements are established in the shadows of these great cities of Pakistan. Due to lack
of affordable housing in Pakistan, many people are driven to live in outskirts of the cities.
Affordable housing is one of the well-recognized and fundamental human right for all
citizens.

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Just to draw the attention of the readers that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
Pakistan is a signatory of SDGs where Goal 11 is inclusively about sustainable human
settlements. The main theme of this goal is “making cities and human settlements,
inclusive safe, resilient and sustainability”. This goal ensures access for all to the
adequate safe and affordable housing and provision of basic services to all residents and
up-gradation of slums. This goal will be achieved by 2030. Much of this target has to be
achieved by the government of Pakistan and it needs consistent and sustainable policies
to reach this target. Very low standard of housing and living quality are seriously having
adverse impacts on the health of residents and affecting the quality of environment which
results in health problems. It is strongly suggested to have a very close check to avoid
further degradation and promote sustainable urbanization and increased standard of life.
(Imam,M. et al, 2017)

Urbanization of Pakistan is spread over unplanned urban sprawl which is seriously

affecting the quality of life. It is creating issues of poor sanitation, drinking water, and
lack of access to other basic facilities of life which results in poor health, poverty etc.
Policy makers have not paid adequate attention to urban development in Pakistan because
Pakistan’s majority of population is still rural and most of the public elected
representatives are from rural areas.

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 Figure 01: Pakistan's population living in slums (% of urban
population)

2014 45.5

2009 46.6

2007 47

2005 47.5

2000 48.7

1995 49.8

1990 51

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

Source: World Development Indicators (Online open data source)

CPEC: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – a game changer both for China and
Pakistan – is in fact a complete package of regional development. It is envisaged to bring
massive development/infrastructure work, specifically in the areas of energy,
infrastructure, and communications, which will be followed by the establishment of
special economic zones (SEZs). When completed, CPEC is expected to boost economic
growth and urbanization. However, rapid urbanization might be coupled with several
settlement issues. CPEC will also impact the settlement pattern at drastic level.
Conversely, in the absence of ancillary policies or measures, CPEC projects could also
contribute in exacerbating Pakistan's urban growth at adverse scale. It is thus important
to undertake a comprehensive review of the potential effects of urbanization, on all the
planned investments under CPEC.

CPEC implementation will greatly influence and accelerate the urbanization in Pakistan
and will help to grow it globally compatible, prosperous and completive country which
will can provide basic necessities and increased quality of life. It will also attract people

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across Pakistan to catch the opportunities from this great development. CPEC routes are
crossing all regions and provinces of Pakistan. Baluchistan has the huge capacity of
urbanization as its population is scattered and density of population is very low in most
of the areas. According to the population census 2017, population density of Baluchistan
is 18.9 persons per square kilometer. The highly dense area of Baluchistan is Quetta
district where density of population is 286.4 persons per sq.km. There are some areas e.
g. Awaran district, Kharan and Panjgur districts with very low density of population, 4.0,
4.3 and 3.9 persons per sq.km respectively. Latest survey also highlighted that Gwadar
District contains only 14.7 persons per sq.km. This is great opportunity for decentralized
urbanization and utilization of equal natural resources.

Economic attractions are the major driving force for growth and developments in cities.
Establishment of SEZs are considered as engines of economic growth, accompanied by
fast-track urbanization. The proposed SEZs will bring great potential for urban
development, which need to be tied with sustainability well in time, through appropriate
regulations and policies. Moreover, if grand developments materialized through CPEC
are engulfed by the slum monster, it will be counted as a grand failure for Pakistan. To
evade these failures, Pakistan now needs to review critically its process of urbanization
by unmanaged and unplanned expansion of the cities. All this resulting in formation of
agglomeration where people are living in the neighbourhood of cities, this phenomenon
brings another issue of settlements called slums. This study highlights the general
problems of slums and formulated policy measures to cope this problem in the wake of
CPEC implications. CPEC will result in formation of new cities and support the existing
cities to convert into large cities.

2. Slums Definition

UN-HABITAT describes it as “slum household as a group of individuals living under

the same roof in an urban area who lack one or more of the following: I) Durable housing
of a permanent nature that protects against extreme climate conditions. ii) Sufficient

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living space which means not more than three people sharing the same room. iii) Easy
access to safe water in sufficient amounts at an affordable price. Iv) access to an
adequate sanitation in the form of a private or public toilet shared by reasonable a
number of people. v) Security of tenure that prevents forced evictions”

Slums are human abodes settled mostly outside the main urban centres and mostly these
residents are poor, daytime workers and marginalized communities of the society. United
Nations report on world slums 2016 has named Orangi town of Karachi among the top
five slums of the world along with Mexico’s Ciudad Neza of Mexico City, Dharavi,
Mumbai, India, Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, and Khayelitsha, Capetown, South Africa.

2.1) Defining slums in Pakistan

The definition of slums varies from country to country. Although this is most
comprehensive definition of slums but most of the countries have their definition and
local titles of these settlements. There are following forms of informal settlements in
Pakistan;

1) Katchi abadis: which are basically unplanned settlements developed by crouching or

casual sub-sectors of the state or by private real estate developers.

2) Slums: these kinds of settlements are usually lie within city or very nearby city
comprises of small town or fragmented informal settlement, or open urban agricultural
land developed by poor occupied community.

3. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Slums

SDG goal 3 determined to provide good health and working for wellbeing of people
where its subcomponent 3.8 target is “By 2030 achieving Universal health coverage,
including access to quality essential health care and access to safe, effective, quality and
affordable machine”. This goal ensures the health coverage and healthy environment to
all at universal level. SDGs goal 4 is providing quality education to all, 4.1 is set “to
ensure all complete equitable, free and quality primary and secondary education leading
to effective learning outcomes”. This is a basic problem that slum dwellers do not have
access to quality education. Sustainable Development Goal ensures provision of clean

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drinking water and sanitation, under this theme target 6.1 is “By 2030 achieve universal
and adequate access to safe and affordable drinking water for all”. Access to clean
drinking water is a severe problem for slum settlements. SDGs target for sanitation and
drainage is “By 2030 achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for
all, end open defecation”. Such problems of sanitation drainage are persistent in slums
of the developing countries. Another target of SDGs for solid waste management is 6.3
which says, “By 2030 improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping
and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, having the proportion of
untreated waste water and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse global”.
These problems are visible in slums at extensive level.

Goal 11 “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”
inclusively sets the target to solve the problems of slums. Subcomponents of goal 11 are
seven in numbers starting from 11.1 to 11.7. 11.1 ensures the availability of safe and
affordable housing and basic services for all, and up gradation of slums. 11.2 ensures the
provision of affordable, accessible and sustainable transportation with improved road
safety and expansion in public transportation. 11.3 is determined to enhance sustainable
and inclusive urbanization with a strong capacity for participatory, and sustainable and
well-integrated human settlements across the globe. 11.4 is about protecting and
safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage of the world. 11.5 is targeted to
significantly decreasing the deaths occurred by disasters and recovering the economic
losses which may lead to the affected people to vulnerable situation.11.6 is set to reduce
the adverse effects of per capita cities environmental impacts, specifically by paying
attention to air quality and waste water management. 11.7 ensures for the provision of
public and green spaces with easy and safe access to the public particularly people with
disabilities, women, children and people with old age.

4. World Cities and Pakistan

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 UN report of World Cities 2016 shows that contribution of emerging Asian cities in
world’s population has increased tremendously. Karachi has been ranked at number 12
among the world’s largest cities and it is expected to shift to number seven in 2030 (Table
2). At present, world’s cities with 10 million or more inhabitants are 31 in numbers. 24
of them are in global south or in developing countries. India and Pakistan share 5 and
one respectively and China alone has 6 of its cities in the list. On the basis of current
growth in cities, it is projected that that 10 cities will become megacities by the year
2030, and all will be belonging to the developing nations, which includes Ahmadabad
(India); Bangkok (Thailand); Bogotá (Colombia); Dar us Salaam (Tanzania); Hyderabad
(India); Johannesburg (South Africa); Lahore (Pakistan); Luanda (Angola) (UN
Population Division, 2016). By 2030 Lahore will be the second one from Pakistan to be
the part of megacities of the world, consequently it will bring a high rate of urban
development and transformation in Pakistan. Lahore will lead from Pakistani side instead
of Karachi. Current growth of change of Karachi is 37.37% from year 1998-2017 while
Lahore growth of change from the same period is 53.77%. Karachi being the largest city
of Pakistan has the population 14910352 in 2017 and it was 9339023 in 1998. Lahore
11126285 in 2017 and 5143495 in 1998 census. If Lahore follows the same pattern of
growth, it will be largest and most populous city of Pakistan by population. Pakistan has
the largest share of its population living in urban areas as compared to other south Asian
countries.

Table 1: World megacities by city size rank (2016 and 2030)

City-size City Population in 2016 City Population in 2030

rank (thousands) (thousands)

1 Tokyo 38 140 Tokyo 37 190

2 Delhi 26 454 Delhi 36 060
3 Shanghai 24 484 Shanghai 30 751
4 Mumbai (Bombay) 21 357 Mumbai (Bombay) 27 797
5 São Paulo 21 297 Beijing 27 706
6 Beijing 21 240 Dhaka 27 374

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7 Mexico City 21 157 Karachi 24 838
8 Kinki M.M.A. (Osaka) 20 337 Al-Qahirah (Cairo) 24 502
9 Al-Qahirah (Cairo) 19 128 Lagos 24 239
10 New York-Newark 18 604 Mexico City 23 865
11 Dhaka 18 237 São Paulo 23 444
12 Karachi 17 121 Kinshasa 19 996
Source: UN Data Booklet on The World’s Cities in 2016

Recent study of United nations on urbanization projected that almost 40% (36.7%, 2017
population census of Pakistan) of Pakistan’s urban population while 34 percent and
33percent of urban population from total population of Bangladesh and India are living
in cities respectively (Mekamu and Schmidt, 2016), however, Pakistan does not have the
defined urban boundaries yet. The definitions which are used to identify the rural and
urban areas are ambiguous in Pakistan. There are numerous sets of economic and social
statistics not considered in counting people really suggests that how this dichotomy of
rural and urban is ambiguous and in correct. On the bases of recent population census of
Pakistan, rural and urban divided only based on administrative criteria. Administrative
boundary defines what is a city, town, or village etc. which are infrequently revised with
the passage of time. Moreover, cities consider only municipal area and population (S.
Akbar Zaidi, 2017). Pakistan does not differentiate between urban area and town within
tehsil and zila, peri urban areas etc. which are located on the nearby of any city and
transportation corridor of Pakistan.

5. Cities of Pakistan

There are several factors for growing cities in Pakistan however, basic factor is rural to
urban migration. Pakistan population census found that eight percent of the total
population were migrants, 10.8 million in numbers. First it is calculated that 36.7% of
the migrants, migrated to urban areas whereas 25 percent of the migrants moved to the
large cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. Karachi alone received
13 percent of the migrants (Arif Hassan).

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Pakistan has a very serious shortage of housing. 4.3 shortage of houses was estimated in
1998 survey, it has climbed up to 9 million. Overcrowded housing is another notable
problem as more than 6 units of a house is a national rate in Pakistan and 3.5 persons per
room as well. International standard of per room is 1.1 persons. With this pace of
urbanization in major cities of Pakistan, there will be more than 20% increase in housing
demand to be faced Karachi and Lahore in coming 20 years (Ministry of Climate Change,
Government of Pakistan, 2015). Due to increase in housing, real estate prices and
unavailability of affordable housing, slums or informal settlement formed.

Table 03: Situation of Pakistan Cities (2000, 2016, 2030)

City Statistical concept City population Average annual rate City population as a proportion of the
(Thousands) of change country or area’s total or
(per cent) urban population in 2016
(per cent)

2000 2016 2030 2000- 2016- Total population Urban Population

2 2
0 0
1 3
6 0
Karachi Urban Agglomeration 10302 17121 24 838 3.3 2.7 9.0 22.8

Lahore Urban Agglomeration 5 452 8 990 13 033 3.1 2.7 4.7 12.0
Faisalabad Urban Agglomeration 2 142 3 667 5 419 3.4 2.8 1.9 4.9
Rawalpindi Urban Agglomeration 1 521 2 582 3 809 3.3 2.8 1.4 3.4
Gujranwala Urban Agglomeration 1 226 2 193 3 274 3.6 2.9 1.1 2.9
Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration 1 221 1 812 2 613 2.5 2.6 0.9 2.4
Multan Urban Agglomeration 1 263 1 969 2 866 2.8 2.7 1.0 2.6
Peshawar Urban Agglomeration 1 066 1 787 2 640 3.2 2.8 0.9 2.4
Quetta Urban Agglomeration 615 1 148 1 740 3.9 3.0 0.6 1.5
Islamabad City Proper 597 1 433 2 275 5.5 3.3 0.7 1.9
Source: The World’s Cities in 2016 (UN Data Booklet)

6. CPEC and Emergence of Slums

The belt and road initiative are one of the largest economic development plan of the
modern history. It will spread hard and soft infrastructure in more than 60 countries of

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the world from Asia, Europe and Africa. It will connect the world to Faster the economic
development and trade development through road, rail air connections of B&RI. By
forming such a grand plan, China aims to protect local economy and social development
by introducing the new globalized economic development based on understanding of the
win-win economic relationship with other countries partner in the project (Rehman and
Shurong, 2017).

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is well organized, well-crafted concept to open

up the meaningful and useful cooperation between two nations, Pakistan and China.
Indeed, this project is for the befit of the region, China, West, Central and South Asia.
This project is entirely based on win-win balance, China Pakistan economic corridor
meanings need to be find out from historical, geopolitical, economic and cultural
perspective. CPEC is one of the main projects of One Belt, One Road. It will take off
from the border of Pakistan and China, Khunjerab spreading huge network of roads,
power plants, mega projects of infrastructure to the Gwadar city (Ahmar2015).

CPEC is a unique opportunity for Pakistan to make stronger its strategic and economic
position coupled with other social benefits. If both nations plan this project properly, it
will serve the benefits of Pakistan and China (Avais et al. 2016).

The CPEC strategically and economically is a useful project for China and Pakistan. It
will unleash the trade opportunities for China from Gwadar to access the Indian ocean,
middle east and Africa. Pakistan will overcome energy shortage and sustainable
economic growth through trade and industrial development (Ali A.2016). Moreover,
CPEC is not an investment project for Pakistan and China, it is game changer for the
whole region of Asia especially south Asia (Ali W. et al. 2016).

CPEC is very crucial part of the billion dollars project initiated by China, One Belt, One
Road (OBOR) to connect countries across continents. However, to maximize the benefits
from this project, it is important to foresee carefully the potential threats and challenges,
and collective interests and its impact at local and regional level (Wolf S.O., 2017).

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Increase in percentage of the total population residing in urban areas is taken as the major
indicator (Jones, 1991). Pakistan is experiencing immense rapid urbanization and urban
growth resulted by several factors like to meet the economic necessities, decreasing
dependency on agricultural sector and for better access to basic facilities of life (Arif and
Hamid, 2009). This occupational redistribution and services are working as pull factor
for rural residents coupled with push factors such as poverty, natural calamities and
disasters, and economic opportunities (Mandal, 2000). Generally, it can be concluded
that Pakistan being the agricultural country, people have started to shift their occupation
from agriculture to industrial and service sector (Li and Yeh, 2004). This scenario of
Pakistan’s urbanization created big challenges but on the other side of the picture, it
brings opportunities as well. Cities are not the problem, these are a kind of cities
developed and formed are problems. Cities have positive and negative sides, positively
these are centers of economic activities and problems of housing, and provision of basic
facilities health security etc. negative sides (Browne, 2014).

Previous studies suggested that future emerging cities of the developing world caused by
unprecedented, unpredictable and uncontrolled urbanization would face tremendous
challenges for urban population (Awan and Nasir, 2010). In the perspective of Pakistan,
this country could be hazardous with poor governance and huge migration of people from
rural to urban areas and uneven distribution of resources utilization is visible. This study
attempted to highlight the living conditions and illustrated the problem faced by this
community and recommended strategies to avoid this problem. Informal resident
structure with people living in poor conditions in unsteady locality is the key challenge
for sustainable urban development. Current state of urbanization in emerging cities of the
developing nations like Pakistan are causing serious problem for urban sustainability.
These major problems can be solved by providing essential amenities like, affordable
housing for poor, provision of basic facilities, building sustainable infrastructure, policies
to reduce natural disasters, providing eco-friendly environment, reducing congested
traffic and accidents and providing social security etc. Nowadays cities are dominating

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the world and working as economic hub for economic activities. London, Paris, Tokyo,
Hong Kong, Washington, Brussels, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Istanbul and Shanghai
etc. are the best cities for economic growth. CPEC will bring the economic growth which
will immensely transform the urbanization of Pakistan. CPEC projects are location based
which will develop specific regions of the country. Baluchistan which is low density
province of Pakistan is expected to attract the huge flow of population from all areas of
Pakistan. This potential development may convert into big problem of slums.

Figure 02: CPEC and Urbanization in Pakistan

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 Socially and Economically Inclusive Development

Pollution
Shanty
Towns

Design
Poor

Slums

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7. Addressing the Problem

Urbanization brings remarkable developments in a country. Challenges of rapid

urbanization in Pakistan include, increasing urban deficit, poor livability, deficiency and
unproductivity of urban centers, degradation in urban ecosystems and urban poverty.
There is dire need to cope with these challenges for sustainable urban development in the
country. Sustainable cities are well planned to facilitate general public equally meet the
necessities, to improve wellbeing with-out harming nature or effecting living conditions
of other citizens, at present or in future (Girardet, 1999), sustainable city is a place where
citizens and businesses constantly struggle to impose their built, cultural and natural
environment, while working in a way that supports the global sustainable development
goal. Both countries China and Pakistan should further strengthen relationship between
local government to strengthen the level of communication between all planning
stakeholders of both nations. It will increase the livelihood of the people and increase the
standards of life, service quality of cities along the CPEC route.

7.1. Population growth in Pakistan

There are several problems our earth is facing today is because of increasing population.
This is one of the greatest challenge of the 21st century. There are several problems arise
global warming, air pollution, water problems, food security far bigger is altering natural
resources to meet the demands of the humans on earth. If this pace of rural to urban
migration and natural increase in population continues, it will cross 50 percent by 2025.
Pakistan vision 2025 described that urban population of Pakistan has increased 3 times
from the last three decades and it is also estimated that currently 75 cities of Pakistan
have the population 0.1 million to 1 million (Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan,
2015). Small towns with less than 0.1 million residents, are around 448 in numbers
(Planning Commission of Pakistan, 2007). Vitally large and mega cities govern urban
system with supporting advantage of large population.

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Based on current population census of Pakistan 2017, more than 36% of total population
living in urban areas. Gradual increase in the CPEC’s results is expected to bring sharp
increase in this percentage of population, driven by migration of people from deprived
rural areas towards newly developed areas, especially nodal cities and small cities near
the nodes of the CPEC route. Province-wise, this CPEC stimulated development is
expected to drive movement of people from southern Punjab, inner Sindh and remote
areas of KPK and Baluchistan towards better opportunities and services in CPEC
development zones. Pakistan would thus have to see and manage accordingly the CPEC
driven changes in this domain of urbanisation.

7.2 Economic Development

Economy in fact has to sustain all the metabolic processes of any urban agglomeration.
Economically well planned cities are the dire needs of today time. There should be
providing welcoming employment opportunities for future population. Opportunities for
business community, building financially self-sustained cities. Formation of slums with
CPEC involvement will pose a serious question for economic development as well as for
Pakistan’s policymakers. It is visible in Pakistan that current slums are traps of poverty.
Economic poor conditions lead the poor dwellers to slums. Pakistan must look critically
the development trajectory of CPEC, economic development and urban development to
avoid the problem of slums in the country. There is a need to improve the wellbeing of
people and reduce the level of inequality for sustainable development.

7.3 Urban Governance

Although 18th amendment has brought changes in governance structure of Pakistan.
Local body elections in Pakistan is somehow a turning point in forming the democratic
governance structure. However, elected people need more powers, and finance to bring
public friendly policies. Decentralized urban governance pattern is required. Financial
and decision making autonomy is required. System of cities, connectivity with small and
large cities for the development of system of cities. Urban governance is critically

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important for building efficient institutions of planning and policies related to urban
development. Significant contributions from community and other organs of the society
are highly required. There are very few development authorities e. g. Capital
development authority, Faisalabad Development authority, Multan development
authority, Karachi Development authority, Hyderabad development authority, Quetta
development authority, Peshawar development authority etc. which have autonomy in
decision making, implementation and financing. Generally, participation of the
community is poorly articulated, any planning related project that involves civil
community, there participation should be made sure at the beginning of the planning.
New urban developments should be coupled with sustainable urban governance
structure.

7.4 Social Exclusions

One of the most visible and enduring physical representation of exclusions in cities is the
expansion in slums. Slums dwellers are usually thrown to the edge of society where they
are excluded and prevented from all kind of participations in development process of
planning. This exclusion will perpetuate the situation to overcome the problem.
Therefore, social exclusion should be considered as a multi-dimensional concept.
According to World Development Indicator, an online data source, in 2005 4.7.5% of the
urban population were living in slums. That means about half of the population is not
included in decision making or policies are drafted not for slum/informal dwellers.
Currently majority of the population of the world living in urban areas. Large proportion
of this population in developing countries living in inadequate housing and with less
access to the basic facilities of life. Mostly slums are overcrowded with 6 to 7 persons
living in very small poorly built in area. People of these are experiencing economic,
social and political exclusion at a very high level denying them to provide access to basic
resources of the community. Another aspect which all inclusive aspect of a durable
civilisation, which no urban design affords to ignore. There should be sustainable social
development with respect to basic facilities of life. Health and education should be

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considered as core subjects of service provision. All this should be planned with the
proportion to population. There is a need to adopt the policies to ensure slum residents
access to basic services clean drinking water, health, education to help them come out of
this bleak situation.

7.5 Living in Slums is always a choice

The repulsive environment of slums with lack of nutrition, infrastructure, healthcare,
education and services, why someone would like to live in these conditions. Is it by
choice or with only choice? Both who experienced both rural and urban life, can
understand this easily. Living in slums is the only alternative solution. People choose to
live in urban poverty rather rural poverty, they’ll prefer to live in slums than going back
to slums. Slums are the places to attract people to be rich, so let’s create the environment
to the best of attraction for all people by utilizing all planning tools.

Let us make our cities developed for all. Slums are not formed by choice, slums are only
options to live for poor citizens. Slums are continuously growing for several reasons of
social, economic, political and demographic reasons. Lots of reasons can be enumerated
like poor planning, rapid migration of people from rural to urban areas, unavailability of
basic facilities and services, social conflicts and natural disasters etc.

Some specific solutions;

 Planning Departments directly involved with the planning: It makes sure the
involvement of all planning departments of the government. Weaknesses within
the intellectual and physical fabric of this government system makes room for the
emergence of slum trap. A perfect coordination and integration among all these
departments, at every step from planning to implementation, may help in keeping
the emergence of slums at bay from the city. Gwadar Master Plan is the best
practice of current time. This is also related to CPEC as well. Gwadar mater plan
should be a well-integrated master plan of Gwadar city among all the stakeholders
and government departments.

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  Plan must make a meaningful way, from its blueprint folder, up to the city
resident with all its informatics. All the stakeholders, from the planner to the
inhabitant, must be able to contribute in the city building, according to the
informatics put in the plan. Any perception, which does not resonate with a set
level of perfection, should not find room for its actualization. This kind of dreams
may contribute in enlarging the slum shadow of city. As mentioned earlier that
more than 47% of Pakistan’s urban population living in slums. CPEC is expected
to create new urban centers as a venue of attraction for people across Pakistan.
These new urban developments should make sure to discourage the creation of
unplanned settlements.
 Imbalance between elements of attraction within the city and housing
arrangements: A well-planned city needs to be realized, in a balance between
its attractions and housing the dwellers, who would try their best to get close to
these attractions. When a city is realized with grand communication, business,
education, and social infrastructures, and goes in imbalance in context of housing
of the prospective residents, living for proximity to these amenities, then it would
make room for the slum shadows. We thus need to seek balance, in the attractions
of our urbanization, and consequent accommodation of the prospective residents.
All the cities should have a proper long-term plan to meet the housing demands
of the population. For instance, Islamabad has all attraction for people, education,
opportunities etc. however it failed to meet the housing demand which resulted
in slums and unplanned settlements in the city. In future under CPEC, all urban
developments should critically consider accommodating the coming people in the
city.
 Real Estate and Well-Planned City: Most of the largest cities of Pakistan have
been breeding a highly untamed real estate sector. A great proportion of this
enterprise steels the plan and breeds shadow slums: trapping thousands of
households in the shadows instead of letting them make to the real city.

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 Thousands of people plan to live in a well-planned urbanization, breakdown in
the black hole of its slums. Pakistan urgently needs to make legislation and
regulations, to tame this enterprise. There should be policies for approving any
settlement or town etc. Many illegal housing societies are trapping the people.
Real estate endeavors have been paid well for the last three decades in in big cities
of Pakistan, which has strengthened this enterprise. All the largest cities of
Pakistan, e.g. Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan etc. are poorly
dealt with the planned real estate involvement. Some stakeholders from this
sphere have also been providing nice urban elements after gaining experience.
So, this enterprise needs to be threshed out, for efficient and inefficient elements.
Real estate should be properly aligning with government policies and should be
used as a stakeholder of planned urbanization as well as source of revenue
generation.
 Compromises in City Nature Relationship: Working of a city, in its entirety,
must correspond with the sustainability of geo-ecosystems. A city operates like a
metaorganism. Its working depends on the goods and services from nature.
Unless it operates in harmony with nature, it may not be provided with these
goods and services continuously. Thus, a city’s plan must reflect stewardship
with nature. For instance, capital of Pakistan Islamabad is full of natural beauty
with natural greenery and mountain. Islamabad’s natural should never be
compromised at any cast. City plans pregnant with compromises in City Nature
Relationship fall into the slum phenomenon more quickly. Likewise, Karachi and
Gwadar are coastal cities with economic opportunities and beautiful Seaview.
Thus, city’s metabolism must be wedded with sustainability and recycling. All its
energy consuming pathways should be guarded by stewardship of nature. It
should reject the elements of unsustainability, in every bit of its working. Urban
development of Pakistan has been breeding compromises in this regard. Pakistan
is making its rapid transition from rural to urban life. Unsustainability is

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 shadowing this transition, which need to be checked, before it infests the
urbanism in this world to uncontrollable levels. In pursuit of producing more
urban amenities, serious injuries are being inflicted to the geoecosystems. Pace
of extinctions in the precious elements of biodiversity is increasing, some of
which has no substitution. To have our cities sustainable, sustainable water and
sanitation, drainage system, pollution, and all other negative should be encounter
with relevant policies.
 Land Ownership Systems Contributes in Breeding Slums: Slums find another
ally in the developing world, which is its land ownership system. When someone
owns a land within the city or in its peripheries, he/she also owns to transform it,
whatever the way he likes. Real estate also owes its successes to this system,
where they first own the land and then the plan. Landscapes with robust
ecosystems are purchased, and transformed ultimately into slums. It does not
discourage to change the land ownership system in Pakistan but there should be
a mechanism for approval of any development on a piece of land. Relevant
planning department should have plans for converting land into any form. Price
is set for the precious elements of nature, which succumbs to slum phenomenon
within couple of years. Citizen who does not own land, or owns less land cannot
contribute in planning or building of urbanization. Urban development plans,
where a person, who can make a marked contribution in actualizing a robust
urbanization, fails in accomplishing it, because of not owning land, usually take
a slippery slope to deterioration.
 Taming the City Expansion: Planning always sets some lines and limits.
Urbanization when expands boundlessly, slums are usually waiting there on the
peripheries, where they may evade the planning apparatus easily. To curb this
phenomenon, the planning and implementation apparatus should be endowed
with enough power of making and implementation policies, to cut its tentacles
after certain limits. Cities of Pakistan are expanding limitlessly and directionless.

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 For instance, expansion of Islamabad is going indefinitely to all direction.
Urbanization spread and expansion should be based on the capacity of the city.
Future cities should be well-planned for any expansion.
 Justice and Equality: Urbanism which does not reflect justice and equality,
usually takes a rapid fall into the slum phenomenon. Pakistan’s urbanism has been
failing in checking the entry of inequality and injustice in its planning and
implementation. Inequality is encouraging factor for slums. Pakistan is home to
several slums in big cities of Pakistan even in Islamabad comparatively a planned
city is having lot of slums in the city. CPEC should not allowed to be coupled
with slums problem. Pakistan is a developing country and having population with
disparities and huge income gap. Future urbanization under CPEC should plan
cities for everyone diminishing the injustice and inequality.
 Institutionalization: To keep the slum monster at bay, all urban processes need
to be appropriately institutionalized. Urban processes, only when simulated
through strengthened institutions, produce all the beautiful tints of urbanization.
Pakistan does not afford it any more, to leave the grand transformations of space
like urbanization uninstitutionalised. Management and governance of urban
space is one of the major determinants of their success. It would also determine
scale of slum urbanism in this part of the world. Development authorities should
be established at all large and medium cities of Pakistan. It will help to have
strength of making decision and financial autonomy.
8. Conclusions
Pakistan is a country with natural increase of urban population. It is creating great
challenges for sustainable communities. Slums are the outcomes of the
population flow from rural to urban areas. It is also a result of economic
concentric policies rather sustainable urban development creating regional
disparities. Uneven economic and resource based activities are creating serious
socio-economic problems. It is proved with enough evidence that emerging cities

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 of Pakistan are increasing tremendously whereas the provision of services are not
being provided with the same pace. This pace of growing cities causing
insufficient infrastructure, provision of public services to slums dwellers, natural
hazards and calamities, bad governance, lack of institutions, social insecurity etc.
On the other side un-operational government organs is a major hindrance towards
sustainable infrastructure and basic services provision in cities. Public
participation is ignored in our planning systems, involvement of public in
decision making is very important. Citizens of any country should be considered
as resource who can contribute to the national development, if they have access
to basic facilities, economically well established, social stable and healthy. In the
case of Pakistan, unfortunately government does not utilize resources properly to
meet the needs of its community. Slum dwellers face very common problems of
inaccessibility of public facilities in the nearby of their locality because all the
slums or well unplanned urban areas with lack of attention of the government
authorities to the issues of slums. Provision of services can only be ensured when
all the planning tools have utilized with future invasions considerations. In
consideration of the study, to improve the living environment of the vulnerable
communities of slum dwellers, it is required to formulate community friendly
policies rather economic gains. As mentioned in Long Term Plan of CPEC,
Pakistan should learn lessons from transformed urbanization of China. Our nodal
cities can be developed as model cities of Pakistan by providing affordable
housing and transportation, provision of all basic facilities (drinking water,
health, sanitation etc.). Pakistan should also learn from technological
advancement of China and utilize their technology and equipment to solve the
problems of urbanization in Pakistan. There are some practical examples of the
projects under CPEC, Orange line train project in Lahore which is partially
operational now, Karachi Circular Railway, Peshawar rapid bus transit system.

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 8.1 Recommendations
Emergence of slums is a phenomenon, which is seriously decelerating the
urbanization gains in the developing world. Here are some recommendations to
tame this monster:
 Collaboration and coordination between all the components of planning
apparatus, at government level. Participation of all relevant stakeholder,
for instance, planning organs of the government, investors, finance
providers etc. and making sure the involvement of policy maker and
regulatory authorities.
 Ensuring a meaningful delivery of urban plans – from the plan blueprint
folder up to the city dweller – at the lower tier of planning. All the
essentials of the planning should be made sure with respect to the delivery
from conceptual framework and implementation of the planning.
 Ensuring a balance between the attractions which city presents to its
prospective dwellers and in their housing arrangements. Housing
arrangements by relevant official authorities should be one of the pivotal
component of planning for perspective population.
 Real estate enterprise need to be tamed, to optimize the gains of
urbanization, as well as to evade the slum phenomenon. There should be
housing schemes for poor people.
 City should be planned with no compromises in context of the city-nature
relationship. Environmental concern should be contingent part of
planning and local ecology should always be protected at any cost.
 Principles of land ownership need to be molded towards the optimization
of urban gains.
 City need to be tamed to remain within certain limits. It should not expand
its tentacles indefinitely. For instance, major cities of Pakistan, Islamabad,
Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar etc. are expanding indefinitely.

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  To evade slum urbanism, city must reflect justice and equality in all its
processes
 Slum phenomenon cannot be defeated without appropriate
institutionalization
 CPEC will certainly accelerate urban development and shift in urban
growth of Pakistan. Emergence of slums should never be allowed to
dominate this development. For this preparation of comprehensive master
plan of all potential cities that may develop under CPEC should be well
prepared to cope the challenges of future unplanned cities and settlements.

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